WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Shoppers are stocking up on food, water, and cleaning supplies as positive coronavirus cases continue to rise in Central Florida.
As of Sunday morning, the Florida Department of Health says that there are 115 cases of positive COVID-19 cases in the state. Nine of those are non-Florida residents being isolated in the state. There are another seven Florida residents with coronavirus but they were diagnosed and being isolated outside of Florida. 365 others are being monitored in the state for the virus.
A FOX 35 viewer went to the Target in Winter Garden on Saturday and snapped several photos empty shelves where food, water, and cleaning supplies would have been. They said that water was very limited and foods like pasta, frozen veggies, and chicken were almost completely out of stock. Then, items like paper towels, Clorox wipes, toilet paper, and Clorox sprays were wiped out entirely.
Target in Winter Garden
Target in Winter Garden
Target in Winter Garden
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This is the trend across the nation as crowds brave long lines and packed stores to buy any grocery items and cleaning supplies they can.
FOX News sent several reporters in New York, Chicago, and Florida to the stores. They said that by morning at a grocery store in Wyckoff, N.J., shoppers had emptied shelves of cheeses, milk, yogurt, eggs and frozen vegetables. There was also no chicken until a butcher came out with a cart and opened a box of chicken breasts. That set off a frenzy of shoppers pushing each other and grabbing what they could.
Costco in Yonkers, N.Y.
Grocery story in Wyckoff, N.J.
Then, in Chicago, barren shelves were also the scene.
Mariano's supermarket in Chicago.
Mariano's supermarket in Chicago
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Trucks at many stores arrive daily and employees are working around the clock to keep supplies in stock.
Many stores have instituted quantity limits per customer on certain items, including bottled water, sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap, rubbing alcohol, bleach, latex gloves, masks, and toilet paper.
You may be able to check whether a store has a particular item in stock by calling or checking its website. If you type an item into a site such as Target.com, for example, and click on "check stores," the site will state whether it is "in stock" at each local store.
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Panic buying across the nation as coronavirus cases rise
Central Florida residents are seeing empty shelves at stores across the region.
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Symptoms for COVID-19 include cough, fever and shortness of breath. You should not panic if you experience these symptoms, but not brush them off either. Call your doctor and ask about getting tested for coronavirus. It is better to stay home and communicate with your doctor remotely, as you do not want to infect others at a medical office, the CDC says. However, if you are experiencing an emergency, call 911 and let the operator know you may have COVID-19 symptoms.
If you end up testing positive for the virus, you should not go to work, school or other activities as to not potentially infect other individuals. The same applies if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, as you may have the condition and can still infect others even though you have yet to be diagnosed.
If you live with others who do not have the virus, it is important you remain in self-quarantine in your own room and practice social distancing, where you are six feet away from others. If you have access to a separate bathroom, only use that one as to prevent the possible spread of infection. Also avoid high touch objects and surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches and remote controls.
If you live alone, make sure that you practice self isolation and social distancing, regularly disinfect surfaces in your house, wear a mask and cover your coughs and sneezes.
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If you do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, it is important you do your best to avoid exposure. The Florida Department of Health advises the following:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick and avoiding contact with persons in poor health.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then disposing of the tissue.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
The CDC said that they do not recommend that healthy people wear facemasks. They should only be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people taking care of someone in close settings.
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Please visit the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage for information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 1-(866) 779-6121. The Call Center is available 24 hours a day. Inquiries may also be emailed to COVID-19@flhealth.gov.
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